Contents:

The home page for Political Science 310 is
http://goodliffe.byu.edu/310/.
Check the home page often for announcements, corrections, instructions
for assignments, syllabus, etc. You should also check your email regularly.

I will hold office hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays 10-11 a.m.
I am also available at most other times if you
make arrangements with me. I encourage you to come by to talk about
assignments in the class, suggestions for improving the class, politics and
current events, the perils of student life, or for any other reason.
(Suggested topics: playing the organ, practicing yoga, lifting weights,
student evaluations, Choose to Give program, BYU tuition.)

It is understood that students enrolled in this class will have taken at a
minimum Political Science 110 (Introduction to American Politics) and Political
Science 200 (Political Inquiry). Thus, I expect all students to have a working
knowledge of American politics, and to know how to write an academic research
paper. If you have
not taken both of those courses, take this course after you have. Without these
prerequisites, it will be more difficult to succeed in this course.

As with other upper-level courses, it will also be of benefit to have taken
other lower-level required courses (e.g. Political Science 150,
Economics 110, American Heritage, etc.).

This course is designed to serve as the intermediate theory course for
the sub-field of American politics. This course also fulfills the
General
Education Scientific Principles and Reasoning (Social Sciences) requirement.
In the first section of the course, we will study the major approaches to
studying political science and social science. Students should be able to
identify and apply these approaches to various topics in American politics. We will
put particular emphasis on what constitutes the scientific method in political
(and social) science, or if such a method is even possible. In the second section of
the course, we will select topics in American
politics (one per week), and examine theories that attempt to explain
political phenomena, often using seminal readings on the subject.
Throughout the course, you will have the opportunity to develop your
critical thinking skills through writing assignments and a group presentation.
At the conclusion of this course, students will:

Identify the major research traditions that structure the
study of politics.

Apply theories of politics to explain current practices in American
politics.

Analyze, think, and write critically about political theories and situations.

As a result of its recent accreditation experience (and increasing emphasis
from the Department of Education to measure educational outcomes, e.g. NCLB),
each program at BYU has developed a set of expected student learning outcomes.
These will help you understand the objectives of the curriculum in the program,
including this class. To learn the expected student outcomes for the programs
in this department go
here.
The College welcomes feedback on the expected student learning outcomes.
Any comments or suggestions you have can be sent to
FHSS@byu.edu.

The course will be conducted primarily as a seminar. Therefore, it is
incumbent that you have read the material to be discussed during each class
period prior to the class (thus, the quizzes--see below). It is expected that
you will attend regularly and
come prepared to participate in the discussion. You should anticipate that
I will call on you to contribute your opinion. We will also have various
in-class activities and exercises designed to stimulate interest and enhance
learning.

I actively encourage questions,
interruptions, cries for help, protests of disbelief, etc. You will never
be penalized for participating--even when this takes the form of vague complaints
like, "I've got no clue why we are reading this stuff!" I urge--indeed,
I expect--you to take advantage of the chance to talk with me during office
hours.

A Chinese proverb (supposedly) says, "I hear
and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand."
This philosophy drives the requirements of the class.

Quizzes

5%

Class Participation

5%

Preliminary Papers

20%

Final Paper

25%

Group Presentation

20%

Final Examination

25%

Quizzes

To encourage reading before class, there will be a short quiz about once a week or so.
You may use any notes that you have written yourself
for the quiz (i.e., you may not bring anyone else's notes, the text,
or any articles). The quiz
will have (a) short-answer question(s) relating to the
main point(s) of the reading(s) for that day's class. If you have done the
reading, the quiz will be straightforward. If you come late to class
or miss class altogether (no matter how good your reason),
you cannot make up the quiz--you receive a zero.
However, since everyone has difficulties at one time or
another, I will drop the two lowest quizzes for the semester. I suggest you
save your dropped quizzes for when you have a good excuse for missing.

Class Participation

Since this class is a seminar, students should be ready to engage one another
in discussion. Of course, to participate, one needs to attend class. In addition to
listening attentively and taking notes, participation entails asking thought-provoking
questions and answering questions of the discussion leader(s).
I am particularly interested in your participation when other groups make
their presentations, though you should follow each group's cue for when verbal
participation is appropriate. (When I lead discussion, questions and comments are
always welcome.) In addition, class participation includes submitting evaluations
of presentations and exam questions (see below).
Learning by participation not only enhances your
education, but is more interesting to both student and instructor.

There will be two 1500-word papers (equally weighted) to help you
develop your critical thinking skills and evaluate your understanding of
the reading. This semester, we will use Writing Fellows on the preliminary papers.
Submit your writing fellow draft to both the instructor and writing fellow.
After the fellow evaluates the paper and returns it to you (about a week later),
meet with the fellow inidividually before turning in the final draft.
Failure to turn in a writing fellow draft or to meet with your writing fellow
results in losing 10 out of 100 points, each.
I also encourage you to consult with me
on your papers. Please use the Turabian in-text citation style
taught in Political Science 200.
The due dates are noted in the
Schedule. If you cannot make it to class,
please leave the assignment with the department secretaries (in the Political
Science office--745 SWKT) before class begins. You may also
submit your assignments via email (as one--not multiple--attachment). I will deduct 10
points per day (including weekends) for late assignments (on a 100 point scale).
That said, I am a reasonable person; if you
anticipate a problem with submitting an assignment when it is due, speak to
me before the assignment is due so that we can
try to work out an alternative arrangement. If you disagree with
a paper grade, follow the instructions
here.

Final Paper

At the end of the semester, each individual must submit
a 2500- to 3500-word paper that synthesizes and applies the theories in the section
that he or she presented
with her or his group (see below).
The paper must explain a current practice in American politics using the
theories that you covered in your section and other sections. Therefore, you
are responsible to pay attention during the group presentations and read
the required readings so that you can incorporate the appropriate
corresponding theories into your final paper.
You will select one event,
practice, or institution in American
politics that you personally used during your presentation and
specify how the theories explain its occurrence. Please use the Turabian
in-text citation style taught in Political Science 200.
I strongly encourage you to consult with me on your paper.
More detailed instructions are found
here.

Students will be assigned to a group of three. Each student in the group
will distribute his or her
paper to the other two students for peer evaluation. (Students will evaluate
two peers' papers,
and return each of them with an
evaluation sheet.
Peers will also give
grades
to the instructor only. Finally, authors will give
grades
to their peers on
how well they were able to constructively criticize authors' arguments, and give specific
suggestions on how to strengthen those arguments.)
After incorporating the
appropriate suggestions and criticisms,
students will turn in their final paper. Authors will also grade the peer
reviewers. Ten percent of your final paper grade is
determined by your initial submission, 10% of your final paper grade is
determined by how well you evaluate your peers, and the final 80% is
determined by your final submission to me.

The paper is due at the beginning of class on the day designated in the
course Schedule. If you cannot make it to class,
please leave the assignment with the department secretaries (in the Political
Science office--745 SWKT)
before class begins. You may also
submit your assignments via email (as one--not multiple--attachment). I will deduct 10
points per day (including weekends) for late assignments (on a 100 point scale).
That said, I am a reasonable person; if you
anticipate a problem with submitting an assignment when it is due, speak to
me before the assignment is due so that we can
try to work out an alternative arrangement. If you disagree with
a paper grade, follow the instructions
here.
The papers may be picked up in the Political Science office (745 SWKT) after
they are graded. The papers will be discarded at the end of the Winter 2008
term.

Group Presentation

To facilitate discussion of the issues, each student will participate in a
45-minute group presentation at some point during the semester
("I do and I understand"). A group
presentation should identify the one or two most important questions that
the readings seek to answer, consider alternative explanations and answers from
other theoretical approaches, examine recent
occurrences in American politics and what the theories say about them, the
progressiveness of the theories, and
analyze the importance of the theories for the future of
American democracy. You must use a visual aid for your presentation
("I see and I remember"). You can be as creative as you wish in your approach to
the group presentation. You can use video
clips from news programs or movies to illustrate a particular point. You
may want to use music that expresses the same
themes found in the readings. You are
responsible for helping us to understand why these
theories and the questions they raise explain such persistent patterns in
American politics. The first presentation will be
October 9th to give you time to think about what you
might want to do. More substantive details on the group presentation can be found
here.

The groups will be small to minimize the
"free-rider" problem. However, 40% of your grade for the group
presentation will depend upon the evaluation of the other
members of the group. If the other students do not think that you contributed
significantly and meaningfully to the
presentation, they can penalize you. After your presentation, you must
turn in a self-reflection within 24 hours, as well as grades of your peers.
Peer grades will influence, but not constrain the instructor's grades. More details
on the self-reflection can be found
here.

Each person in the group must apply a theory to a recent example
in American politics during the presentation. Each person must use a different
example; the example the person presents will be used in that person's
final paper (see above).

Each group must meet with me
before their presentation to discuss
their plans, and to examine the readings.

At the end of the semester, each student will turn in a
ranking of all
group presentations (excluding her/his own), with written justification. In addition,
there will be questions on the
final exam that will refer to the group presentations.

You should treat the presentation in a professional manner, similar to making
a presentation to a prospective client for your company. Therefore, you should
practice your presentation, and have contingency plans in place when things go wrong.
(For example, when IT services fails to deliver the correct cable, what will you do?
How would a prospective client view comments such as, "This never happened
before--can we reschedule?") Do not apologize or give me any reason not to take your
presentation seriously (lack of time, poor dress, etc.).
Further suggestions on presentations generally can be found
here and
here.

Final Exam

There will be a final examination that will be
comprehensive. The final exam will be a take-home exam that you can
take any time during the
final
exam period. Do not ask to take the final examination early. It is against
university policy to give final examinations outside of the scheduled time. You
should not make any plans that interfere with the final exam schedule. Please
do not ask for exceptions. I am not authorized to grant them.

You may use any notes that you have written yourself
for the exam (i.e., you may not bring anyone else's notes, the texts,
or any articles/chapters). You must take the exam in one sitting, after which you
email your answers to me (in an attachment). Check out the exam
questions from the Political Science office (745 SWKT) one day, and return the
questions the next day (or earlier).
The exam will consist
primarily of short-answer questions and essay questions that assess the skills
listed in Objectives. The examination will be difficult.
I expect you to be able to apply the material that we have covered in class,
to apply current events, and to answer questions about different groups' presentations.
You have the opportunity to suggest
questions for the exam
here.
A mock-up of a previous semester's final
can be found
here.
The exams may be picked up in the
Political Science office (745 SWKT) after
they are graded. The exams will be discarded at the end of the Winter 2008
term.

"The grade given in a course is the teacher's evaluation of the student's
performance, achievement, and understanding in that subject as covered
in the class. The following adjectives indicate the meaning of the letter
grades:

A

Excellent

B

Good

C

Satisfactory

D

Minimum passing

E

Unacceptable

"Hence, the grade A means that the student's performance, achievement, and
understanding were excellent in the portion of the subject covered in the
class.

"There are prerequisites that qualify students to be admitted to the more
advanced classes offered by a department. A senior has added experience,
understanding, and preparation and, consequently, progresses in courses
that would have been impossible when the student was a freshman. The level
of performance, achievement, and understanding required to qualify for
each grade that carries credit (any grade other than E, UW, I, IE, or WE)
is higher in a more advanced class than in those classes that precede it,
and the student is prepared to work at this higher level" (p. 59).

"The expectation for undergraduate courses is three hours of work per week
per credit hour for the average student who is appropriately prepared;
much more time may be required to achieve excellence" (p. 57).

Putting these statements together, the university expects
an "average student" to work "much more" than 9 hours a week
to receive an 'A' (= "excellence") in a 3 credit-hour course.
This is my expectation as well.

This workload has been affirmed by President Bateman in his devotional
addresses. On
7
September 1999, he stated, "It takes approximately three hours
of study outside class for every
hour in the classroom. If you take 15 hours of credit, you should allocate upward of 45
hours for study per week."
On 19
September 2000, he advised, "Study daily--at least three hours for every hour
in class."

Students who have succeeded in this course have the following characteristics. They

Always read before coming to class.

Study in groups to make sure they understand the material.

Come to class with questions.

Understand why it is important to know the theories, and how to apply those
theories.

From the Academic Honesty section of the BYU Honor Code:
"The first injunction of the BYU Honor Code is the call to `be honest.' Students come to the
university not only to improve their minds, gain knowledge, and develop skills that will assist
them in their life's work, but also to build character. `President David O. McKay taught that
character is the highest aim of education' (The Aims of a BYU Education, p. 6). It is the
purpose of the BYU Academic Honesty Policy to assist in fulfilling that aim."

"BYU students should seek to be totally honest in their dealings with others. They should
complete their own work and be evaluated based upon that work. They should avoid
academic dishonesty and misconduct in all its forms, including but not limited to plagiarism,
fabrication or falsification, cheating, and other academic misconduct"
(cite).
Read the full version
here (parts
attached to the original paper syllabus).

A colleague (Mitch Sanders, former professor at Notre Dame)
has already explicated these issues specifically for political science. Please read
here (also attached
to the original paper syllabus).

If you write a paper for another course (past or present)
that uses the same topic as a paper for this course, you need to approve it
with me first, and then you must turn in to me a copy of the paper from
your other course.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination against any participant in an educational program or activity that receives federal funds. The act is intended to eliminate sex discrimination in education. Title IX covers discrimination in programs, admissions, activities, and student to student sexual harassment. BYU's policy against sexual harassment extends not only to employees of the university but to students as well. If you encounter unlawful sexual harassment or gender based discrimination, please talk to your professor; contact the Equal Employment Office at 422-5895 or 367-5689 (24 hours); or contact the Honor Code Office at 422-2847.

Brigham Young University is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere which reasonably accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have any disability which may impair your ability to complete this course successfully, please contact the Services for Students with Disabilities Office (422-2767). Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented disabilities. Services are coordinated with the student and instructor by the SSD office. If you need assistance or if you feel you have been unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of disability, you may seek resolution through established grievance policy and procedures. You should contact the Equal Employment Office at 422-5895, D-282 ASB.

It is essential that you keep up with the reading. Indeed, I expect
you to have completed reading assignments before the class in which we
discuss it (thus, the quizzes).

Some of readings are from the text (available in the bookstore); the book
is also on reserve at the
Lee Library:

Daniel Little. 1991. Varieties of Social Explanation: An
Introduction to the Philosophy of Social Science.
Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press. ISBN: 0813305667.

(You can also obtain this book through an on-line bookstore. The following
website searches out several bookstores simultaneously:
BooksPrice.com.)

Most of the other readings are journal articles and book chapters.
These readings may be accessed
through the internet via links provided below. For some readings, you will have
to enter a user ID and password, provided separately. For other readings, you may
have to enter
your Route Y ID and password if you are accessing the readings off campus.
To view or print most documents, the
computer must have the Adobe Reader (downloadable free
here).
If you cannot access the readings in this manner, please let me know
and I will try to make alternative arrangements.

You should read a national newspaper daily. Knowledge of current
events will help you in your group presentation, preliminary and final papers,
and active participation in class.
I suggest subscribing to a national paper,
or at the very least, reading on the web the national
news of The
New York Times (free with registration),
The
Washington Post (free with registration), or
The Los Angeles
Times (free with registration).

There are also recommended readings available for most sections.
You can access the recommended readings
here.
Students are
not required to know the recommended readings. They are provided if
students want to pursue subjects in more detail, though they could be used
as additional sources in papers or presentations.

If I find something that provides greater insight or additional knowledge
to our subject, I will add or substitute the reading.

The number of pages for book chapters are placed in
{braces} and do not include endnotes or references.

Mancur Olson, Jr. 1982.
"The
Logic." In The Rise
and Decline of Nations: Economic Growth, Stagflation, and Social Rigidities.
New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press [Chapter 2].{19}

Nathan Teske. 1997.
"Identity
as the Basis for Activism." In Political Activists in America:
The Identity Construction Model of Political Participation.
New York: Cambridge University Press [Chapter 4].{46}

I often use video clips from popular culture (television programs, movies)
to illustrate and emphasize the readings. In this class, I especially use clips from
"The Simpsons." If you consider "The Simpsons" to be inappropriate,
then do not take this class.